This is a blog from David Spender, one of the two Liberal Democrat Winchester City Councillors for the wonderfully named Oliver's Battery and Badger Farm Ward. It will cover local and district issues as seen from our perspectives.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Library cuts "threaten literacy"

Earlier this month I mentioned the threat to local library services. Yesterday's Hampshire Chronicle confirmed these fears. According to the Chronicle's front page story, the Conservative-run county council is looking at cutting around one-third of 80 professional librarian posts in branches and the Library Service HQ in North Walls, Winchester. As if that was not enough, the book fund could also lose £250,000 from its £2m budget.

LibDem County Cllr Peter Chegwyn, spokesman for Recreation & Heritage, said "This means fewer books and fewer qualified people to advise the public. Many librarians have given years of service to Hampshire and now, at a stroke, we will lose that expertise and knowledge. Hampshire already spends the least per head of population of any local authority in England on new library books and saw the biggest decline in book borrowing (9%) of any county last year".

I find this all very disturbing. Huge amounts of money are being spent around the county converting libraries into "Discovery Centres" and it's becoming clearer and clearer that this development is at the expense of providing the core library service. In the same week that the county council gave itself planning permission to spend £40m refurbishing its headquarters it seems content to throw to the wolves an important public service that promotes reading and literacy. I am not impressed.

I'm very concerned about what's happening to our libraries. Apparently, when the Winchester "Discovery Centre" opens we won't actually be able to telephone it directly because Hampshire Council is setting up a call centre that is costing £5 million initially, plus millions each year to run. They are also spending £40 million on tarting up the offices at the Castle for 750 employees (that's around £60,000 each!) and spending hundreds of thousands on landscaping and refurbishing the county councillors'restaurant. This is at the same time as cutting spending on books and sacking librarians.

About Me

One of the two Lib Dem Winchester City Councillors for Oliver's Battery & Badger Farm Ward. Resident of Oliver's Battery, lived in Winchester since 1985. Member of the Liberal Party and then the Liberal Democrats since 1972. Elected to Winchester City Council in September 2005. Serves on the Environment Scrutiny Panel. Member of Wesley Methodist Church, Winchester.